


A Ward of House Fortemps Walks Into Our Congregation of Knights Most Heavenly…

by OGMadster



Series: A Warrior of Light and his Loves: Kisstober 2020 Collection [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28368903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OGMadster/pseuds/OGMadster
Summary: Having received encouragement from Haure, Kyler brings Aymeric a gift in the hopes it might get him to set aside his work. After all, it's quite late, and one of the hardest-working men in Ishgard needs rest...---With thanks to twitter user kowaretaP for the Kisstober prompts.Further info and sketch link in end notes.
Relationships: Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)/Aymeric de Borel, Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)/Haurchefant Greystone
Series: A Warrior of Light and his Loves: Kisstober 2020 Collection [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2076024
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	A Ward of House Fortemps Walks Into Our Congregation of Knights Most Heavenly…

The private chamber of the Lord Commander of the Temple Knights was cold, in spite of the hearth. Kyler had already spoken to Lucia and managed to convince the Temple Knight at his door to allow him in. After all, he’d reasoned, it was quite late, and if Aymeric needed someone to pry him away from his work and encourage him to rest, Kyler was more than willing to provide the leverage. But these mundane excuses, well-meaning and logical as they were, were just that, excuses, and the fastidious knight clearly knew as much. Still, he’d let him in, and that was all that mattered. Kyler wondered if that was a vote of confidence on the knight’s part or a concession that this kind of call from him was inevitable. 

Aymeric was standing behind his desk, which was positively covered in documents of all sorts. Clearly when he was not receiving guests he spread out a bit. Still, it seemed as though everything had its place, order amongst the profusion of matters that needed his attention. He was so focused, in fact, that he didn’t look up when Kyler entered. He was also lacking the pauldrons and sash he ordinarily wore, though his long gloves, which covered his arms knuckle to bicep, were still on. One hand was up by his mouth, the very picture of deep thinking. Kyler stifled a chuckle. Even dressed down he was practically perfect, though he himself would never say so.

Kyler made no attempt to quiet his footfalls, the heels of his boots clear on the stone floor; he didn’t want to startle him. But this also did not pull his attention from whatever he was examining. Taking his time, Kyler arrived at Aymeric’s desk, stopping, and only realized then that Aymeric almost certainly was used to the sound of a pair of boots approaching - namely Lucia’s.

“Aymeric,” he said softly. 

The Lord Commander’s eyes shot away from the page, wide with surprise. “Kyler!” he reacted, and if Kyler wasn’t wholly mistaken, a hint of a blush touched his cheeks, the tips of his ears. “I didn’t expect you,” he said, mastering his expression, it returning to the keen though neutral look he normally wore. His ears turned redder.

Kyler couldn’t keep from smiling. “I’m sorry, startling you was the last thing I wanted. Surprising,” he tilted his head and produced the bottle of twice-mulled wine that was Gibrillont of the  _ Forgotten Knight _ ’s specialty. “Perhaps, though I had hoped it would be pleasantly.”

Aymeric smiled, putting his hand out for the bottle, and nodded his approval at the hand-scrawled label. “Thank you, my friend,” he said, and genuine fondness was in his voice. He raised his brilliant, light-blue eyes to Kyler, and Kyler felt frozen to the spot, though pleasantly. “What is the occasion?” he asked, shifting some of his documents to set down the gift.

“No occasion,” Kyler said. “Gibrillont mentioned he had made a fresh batch and I thought the hardest-working man in Ishgard deserved a bottle.”

Aymeric laughed and broke their gaze, looking down, his thick black hair, which was just long enough to show the beginnings of wide curls, slouching in front of his eyes. Kyler was frustrated that it took them from him and, with a pang, wondered if there were those who felt that way about his own hair when it obscured his face. To Aymeric’s credit, he straightened up again quickly. “I think I am hardly that, but I thank you.”

“Perhaps we could drink some of it together?” Kyler dared to move to the side of the desk, leaning one hip against it, attempting nonchalance. Gods but he was bad at this flirting business. He ought to have asked Haure how he did it so effortlessly. In his mind he could practically hear him cackle his delight.

Aymeric sighed out a sound, looking at the work he’d spread out for himself.

“It is growing quite late,” Kyler said, trying to be gentle.

Suddenly Aymeric regarded him from a sideways look, eyes keener and sharper even than normal. “Did Lucia put you up to this?”

Kyler could not and did not conceal a laugh. “No,” he told him. “Though that you suspect she might have tells me that you too know that you need your rest.”

His look softened, laughter hiding in the corners of his mouth. Kyler found himself noticing that both of Aymeric’s lips were shapely. They looked soft, perhaps especially so in the dancing light of the fire. He felt his own face starting to heat up. “Perhaps,” Aymeric said, returning his eyes to the document he’d been perusing when Kyler arrived.

He was so beautiful, from his straight-bridged nose to the dip of his cupid’s bow to the smile lines just barely beginning to form at the corners of his mouth. Even his eyelashes were dark and full, and longer than Kyler had appreciated, accentuated by the angle of his eyes as he read. A kind of tension was building in him as he wandered his features, one he’d felt before, one that he was starting to recognize.  _ Now, or never _ .

Kyler stepped up beside him and touched his hand that was holding the document; from the angle they were both at with the slightest shift, practically the lengths of both their arms could touch. Aymeric turned to face him, eyes coming open wide in surprise again, but as their gazes collided, he didn’t shy away. Kyler found himself lost in the look he gave him - surprise, yes, but was that anticipation, hope? Were his cheeks flushing again or was that a trick of the low light? Kyler tilted his head down, closer to him, hardly an ilm’s difference, though it could have been malms. He skated his thumb over Aymeric’s hand, a gentle stroke.

“Kyler,” he said, softly, and he loved the way it sounded coming from his voice like that, tender, private. Aymeric’s blush darkened, this time he was sure of it. 

On an impulse, Kyler began to raise the hand he still touched, the document mercifully vanishing from it, before he brought Aymeric’s knuckles to his lips in a kiss. He was gratified by the sight of Aymeric’s lips parting at the touch, the sound of the slightest hitch in his breath. As he lowered his hand, Kyler held onto it, squeezing it gently. He didn’t want there to be any room for doubt, even if it meant figuring out what to say and how to say it in the midst of this tenuous moment.

Eyes searching his face now, Aymeric slowly brought his other hand up to brush some of Kyler’s hair back, a ghost of a touch. It sent pleasant chills racing down Kyler’s spine. He realized that Aymeric’s eyes always looked a little wider, a little less guarded, when they were near because he had to look up into his face. They’d never been this close before, nor had he looked quite so emotive, this full of quiet, nervous energy. It only magnified the significance of the gesture when his attention flickered to Kyler’s lips and back.

“May I…?” He asked, their faces so close Kyler could feel the stir of his breath against his skin.

“Aymeric,” he said, liking too how his name sounded in the scant space between them, and answered his question with a kiss.

Aymeric sucked in a breath, his arm going around his neck, and he kissed him back. It was both tender and electric at once, Aymeric not shying from it. On the contrary his kisses were lavish, and they thrilled Kyler. He hummed against Aymeric’s lips and embraced him, Aymeric wrapping his other around him as well. After a long moment their mouths parted, their eyes locking again even closer now, and Aymeric’s seemed to dance. A smile took over his features that he moved to hide, ducking his face into Kyler’s neck. It was infectious, and Kyler found himself grinning as he gave him, for just a moment, a tighter squeeze. Aymeric chuckled, the sound muffled by Kyler’s collar.

He emerged, still smiling fully, more fully than Kyler had ever seen before. He basked in it, trying to take in all of its shapes, trying to memorize it. “You have done it, Kyler Drake,” Aymeric told him, a touch of laughter in his tone. “You’ve surprised me.”

Kyler chuckled and leaned in to do it again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you'd like to wallow in brain worms with me please feel free to hit me up on twitter @ScruffyChocoboi!
> 
> This is part of an ongoing and evolving collection!  
> In October, twitter user @kowaretaP posted a prompt list called Kisstober delineated as follows:  
> Days 1-9: First Kiss  
> Days 10-16: Fluffy Hours  
> Days 17-23: Tension  
> Days 24-31: Goodbye  
> along with encouragement to alter them as desired. I did some sketches for the polycule, but the brain worms took over and had me writing the scenarios too. I also added a prequel section I've been calling "First Sight, First Pangs."
> 
> This is one of the “First Kiss" pieces.  
> If you'd like to see the mini comic that precipitated this fic, it can be found here:  
> https://twitter.com/ScruffyChocoboi/status/1340131351295479810
> 
> Aymeric's First Kiss is post quest 3.0.3, "The Better Half, "after some side quests & getting established in Ishgard but before helping the Fortemps brothers with their questlines.


End file.
